Category Archives: Contests

Make sure you’re free next Tuesday or Wednesday night. That’s because legendary jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, along with world-renowned Brazilian Bossa Nova / Jazz guitarist, drummer, percussionist, and singer Vinicius Cantuária are playing together at the intimate and lovely Jazz Alley.

These two fantastic musicians are playing together again, as they have done many times over the past 20 years. In 2011, the duo released the beautiful Spanish-language album Lagrimas Mexicanas. Having been a fan of Frisell’s work for many years, I wasn’t sure what to expect from his duet with Cantuária. It is absolutely gorgeous, and works like magic.

I anticipate what I hear on the recorded work to translate well to the stage at Jazz Alley. There’s only one show each night, so make sure you buy early, as both nights are bound to sell out. Frisell and Cantuária, a rare treat that I am very much looking forward to.

As this is a show not to be missed, we have a pair of tickets to give away to the Tuesday night showing (both shows are at 7:30pm). All you’ll need to do is send an e-mail to thesunbreak@gmail.com before 9am on Friday, July 25 with “Vinicius” in the subject line. A winner will be drawn at that time and notified shortly thereafter.

Winter may be about to leave Seattle, but if the House Stark words are to be believed, it is most definitely coming to Westeros — and, thanks to HBO, to your televisions on March 31st.

When HBO’s adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy series concluded its second chapter last summer, one cliffhanger wasn’t enough: the CGI team had found (Khaleesi) Daenerys “Mother of Dragon” Targaryen’s beloved fire-breathing baby reptiles at the end of a fever dream, the Iceland crew filmed a backdoor pilot for The Walking Dead: North of the Wall, toxic waste specialists had been called into Kings Landing to clean up the Deepwater Horizon-level wildfire spill on Blackwater Bay and an equine excrement situation in the throne room, and the Stark kids were all over the map: following their hormones into treaty-breaking midnight marriages, staging mass covert assassinations to escape domestic servitude, riding away from the smoking ashes of a childhood home in a giant’s backpack, and/or crushing walnuts; Drunk Cersei was nursing an epic hangover; and Peter Dinklage was just settling into a new long-term relationship with the makeup artist who will be applying his garish facial scar for the foreseeable future.

I found the yearlong wait for resolution of these plots to be too dark and full of terrors not to spend the rest of the summer devouring the 5,000 pages of the entire series [pro tip: when you get past the third novel, consider alternating between the fourth and fifth]. That only satisfied my cravings for a couple months, leaving me even more eager to see how television wizards David Benioff and D.B. Weiss will bring the truly jaw-dropping events of A Storm of Swords to the screen. Heck, I’m even on the edge of my seat to see what parts of the map get added to the awesomely informative award-winning title sequence.

Most of the world will have to wait until March 31st to stop obsessively rewatching the trickle of third season teaser trailers, but a few lucky SunBreak readers can get a big-screen sneak preview on Thursday March 21st at the Cinerama along with Seattle notables, cast members, and show producers at a red carpet premiere. As if the chance to see the Season 3 premiere ten days ahead of everyone else isn’t enticing enough, there will also be an afterparty at the EMP featuring THE ACTUAL IRON THRONE. One can only hope that they’ll be serving some fine Dornish Reds to fuel a few wine-soaked monologues and the courage to sit on this cursed seat.

The HBO Seattle premiere of Game of Thrones Season 3 is this Thursday, March 21, at the Cinerama. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the episode airing at 7 p.m. and the party at the EMP afterwards. Enter for your chance to win below!

A Pleasure Cart hits Times Square, distributing vibrators to the teeming tourist masses.

It all started when @jseattle shared his PR pitch of the day: “Trojan Vibrations shakes up Seattle with massive vibrator giveaway.” @thesunbreak retweeted and requested further information, with the end result being an offer of twenty-five free vibrators. No one needs twenty-five vibrators, so we settled on five. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

First off, you should know that the good people from Trojan will be making an appearance at the Northwest Women’s Show, taking place this weekend at the CenturyLink Event Center. But they won’t be hiding in a horse, nor handing out condoms. For the past few years, Trojan has been doing their part to further introduce vibrators into the mainstream by making them affordable and accessible at a variety of establishments, including drugstores and grocery stores, as well the usual online and adult markets. They’re mass market enough to have ads on late night TV or in the back of Rolling Stone. For something still as taboo as a sex toy, that’s saying something.

And now, if you’re at the Northwest Women’s Show this Saturday, March 2nd, Trojan Vibrations brings the latest in their line of personal pleasure devices to the people, by giving away 4,000 free Trojan Tri•Phoria Vibrators and Trojan Pulse Vibrators. The giveaway goes as long as supplies last (10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.), so get there early. The Pleasure Carts, modeled after traditional hot dog carts, can be found at the show’s Booth 1314, conveniently located near the wine tasting area.

This is the latest stop in Trojan Vibrations’ cross-country tour, which has already been through New York City, D.C., Chicago, Boston, Las Vegas, and Miami, leaving scores of happy couples and satisfied single ladies in their wake.

And if you don’t make it to the CenturyLink event center, The SunBreak has five Tri-Phoria vibrators to give away. Enter to win below.

It’s almost May, and that means Memorial Day and all it brings: yes, Sasquatch, but also the annual celebration of patchouli stink and singer-songwriters galore known as Folklife. This year marks the 41st annual Northwest Folklife Festival, taking place at Seattle Center all Memorial Day Weekend long. As always, admission is free, with a suggested donation of $10 per person, or $20 per family.

This year also marks the first-ever Folklife Festival Preview Party, this Thursday, May 3 at the Tractor. The show features bands from Folklife’s Indie Roots Stage–Denver, Big Sur, and the Annie Ford Band–along with two-step lessons care of Rockin’ Horse Dance Barn, a super-duper raffle spectacular with some pretty great prizes, and, of course, the announcement of the full festival lineup.

Tickets to the 21+ Folklife Festival Preview Party are $10. The SunBreak has a pair of tickets to this Thursday’s show to give away. Enter below by Tuesday at 5pm PDT to win!

Not only is it a great cause (100% of the $15 ticket sales go to local non-profits supporting arts programs FOR THE CHILDREN), but it’s sure to be a great show, thanks to the combo of Brookyln up-and-comers Real Estate and new Sub Pop signees Poor Moon. (As a moony coincidence, at the first Little Big Show, the supporting act was Fly Moon Royalty.)

The July and October dates for the next Little Big Shows are still TBD, but the April date is upon us, and The SunBreak has a pair of tickets to this Friday’s show to give away. Enter below by Wednesday at 9pm PDT to win!

I know what you’re thinking. You hear the phrase “jazz festival” and you immediately think of middle-aged, silver-haired intellectuals sitting in silence, bobbing their heads, sipping merlot and listening to sleepy music with an air of importance that reeks of pretense.

Now in its tenth year, the BJF takes over most of old Ballard each April, spilling out from the bars and concert venues to coffee shops and many of the non-music businesses on Ballard Ave and beyond. Over three days you’ll get to hear world-class jazz musicians, both national touring acts and the crème of the local crop.

Orrin Evans

The mainstage show this year features two great artists from out of town, the Bobby Broom Trio and Orrin Evans.

Broom is a killer guitarist from Chicago who’s trio has been lighting up stages and festivals all around the world. His last album was a tribute to the music of Stevie Wonder that worked on all levels, and he’s set to release his first album of all original material this spring on Seattle’s Origin Records.

Evans is a rising star on the piano out of Philadelphia who has released many small-group records as well as a great recent disc with his Captain Black Big Band. He’ll be playing with Seattle’s Matt Jorgensen and a great quartet.

Kobie Watkins

Also on tap is the annual “Brotherhood of the Drum” concert on Wednesday, this year hosted by ex-Santana drummer Michael Shrieve and featuring Kobie Watkins, Eric Eagle, Todd Bishop and King Tears Bat Trip, a band with 5 drummers, sax and guitar.

Thursday brings the Guitar Summit, with the aforementioned Broom, Tim Young, John Stowell, and Dave Peterson, all playing with various killer bands.

And with a nod to Ballard’s Scandinavian heritage, the Swedish Pancake Breakfast takes place on Saturday morning with music from vocalist Jeff Baker and Cornish College’s Advanced Jazz Combo directed by bassist (and recent Earshot Jazz “Golden Ear” Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame inductee) Chuck Deardorf. You can even bring the kids to this one!

Wayne Horvitz

But the crown jewel of the BJF is Friday’s Jazz Walk. The festival takes over eleven different Ballard businesses and showcases 21 mostly-Seattle artists. This is the part of the festival that is different than any other you’ll experience. The crowds wander up and down the street, dropping in and out of the various venues, catching a little of this act before running off to catch the next.

Some of the venues are more subdued than others, but at places like Conor Byrne or the New York Fashion Academy, the scene is often raucous and lively, more like Lollapalooza than the Village Vanguard, more Redhook than Chateau Ste. Michelle. This year’s highlights include the Jovino Santos Neto Quarteto, Gail Pettis, Human Spirit with Thomas Marriot, Mark Taylor & Matt Jorgensen, Wayne Horvitz, and a showcase for the upstart jazz label Table & Chairs.

If you set your preconceptions aside, you’ll hear a different side of the Seattle music scene, one thriving and packed with incredible talent. Tickets and more info here. See you on The Ave (Ballard Ave, that is)!

I’ll be there representing a podcast that I host, Jazz Now! Seattle. Stop by and say hi!